Sunday, 6 March 2016

EFCC HAS LOST FOCUS,AFTER NUHU RIBADU..OLUSEGUN OBASANJO

Former
president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has described the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC), as “a toothless bulldog.” Speaking yesterday in
Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Obasanjo, who took a retrospective look at
the activities of EFCC, submitted that the commission had become so since the
exit of its pioneer Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.He spoke
during a reception to mark his 79th birthday held at the Olusegun Obasanjo
Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun State. At the event were former
Vice President Atiku Abubakar; the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki;
Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State; former Akwa Ibom State Governor,
Senator Godswill Akpabio; and former Rivers State Governor and Minister of
Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.

Others
included former Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke; former Osun
State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; and the Minister of Science and
Technology, Dr Ogbonaya Onu, among other eminent personalities.

Obasanjo
noted that Ribadu, who was in attendance at his birthday celebration, handled
his job so well to the extent that Nigerians coined the saying that the “fear
of Ribadu was the beginning of wisdom”. The former president, however, bemoaned
the current fate of the EFCC, urging all stakeholders to come to the rescue of
the commission.

The former
president said, looking in the direction of Ribadu: “As you all know when Nuhu
Ribadu was handling the EFCC, he handled it in such a way that people coined
the saying that the fear of Ribadu is the beginning of wisdom. “And the thing
you will ask is: how did we go down? How did we lose that? How did we? Nuhu
Ribadu is still here, he is still alive; the institution that we started
together is still there.

What made
the institution to become a toothless bulldog? “And that’s the matter we have
to keep looking at so that we don’t take two steps forward, one step aside and
three steps back.” Obasanjo stressed the need for Nigerians to be more serious
in the task of developing the country.

Speaking
about tackling terrorism and insurgency, the former president advocated the
deployment of technology to fight insurgents at both local and international
levels. He noted that the deployment of technology became imperative because
the insurgents too were using technology to unleash terror on innocent people. His
words: “One of the things that we now have to take seriously in fighting
terrorism and insurgency is technology.

“This is
because technology impacts on us daily; technology is beamed in our homes, is
in our pockets and if those who want to do anything to make life unbearable for
us, in terms of security, then we must also use technology as the antidote as
the means by which we can ward them (insurgents) off.” Obasanjo, however,
argued that the country was making tremendous progress in its democratic experience.

Dignitaries,
including serving and former political office holders who paid glowing tributes
to the former president, described him as a nationalist and special gift to the
country. In his goodwill message, Saraki, who was represented by Senator Lanre
Tejuoso, said despite being 79 years old, Obasanjo’s “strength and wisdom have
not waned.” Akpabio, who is the Senate Minority Leader, said the former
president cannot be bought over because he is a man of justice.

The former
governor, who recalled his ordeal when he wanted to contest, said he faced
persecution from other aspirants and that every stakeholder was bribed to stand
against him, except Obasanjo. Former Vice Abubakar, who donated the sum of
N25million to the Centre for Human Security at the event, was represented by
the Chairman of Board of Trustees, American University of Nigeria, Akin Kekere-
Ekun.

Imo State
Governor, Rochas Okorocha, and the Minister of Justice and Attorney- General of
the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami, were also represented on the occasion.
The founder of Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, prayed for the former
president, requesting God to grant him more years to continue to serve
humanity.